Compressor for refrigeration apparatus



Oct. 6, 1931. E OWEN 1,826,479

COMPRESSOR FOR REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed March 21, 1929 -2SheetsSheet .1

Oct. 6, 1931. c. E. owsNs 4 COMPRSSOR FOR REFRIGERATION APPABATUS FiledMarch 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 W am M W C fig. 5.

.tented Oct. 6, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE L CEPHIS E. OWENS, OIEDIETROI1, MICHGN COMPRESSOR FOR REFRIGERATIN APPARALUS Application filedMatch 21, 1929. SerialNo. 348,698.

' V paratus with3new and novel means for si-.

lencing the action of the gas discharge valve thereof.

Anotlier object is to provide a mechanical refrigeration compressor witha gas discharge valve having an oil cushioning means for silencing theoperation of the same.

Another object is to provide a mechanical refrigeration compressor witha gas discharge valve having an oil trap which allows a free passage ofgas, but traps a large percentage of the oil which may be dischargedWith the gas in order that the trapped oil will flow around the valve tocushion the same and provide a silencingmeans.

With the foregoing and otl 1er objects in view which will be apparentfrom the detailed description to follow, this invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combination of parts whichwill be readily understood by those skilledin the art.

In the drawings which illustrate a suitable embodiment of the presentinvention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a refrigeration compressor condenserunit of the air cooled type, portions beihg broken away to show theconstruction of the same;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the head of the compressorcylinder taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig.3;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the head for the compressor cylinder;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a refrigeration compressor condenser unitof the Water cooled type, a portion of the dome surrounding thecondenser being broken away to show the exhaust valve and associatedparts;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the compressor cylinder head, showingthe cap which encloses the exhaust valve; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig.4.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in Which like numerals refer tolike parts, the compressor as shown in Fig. 1 comprises a with thenormal valve opening.

crankcase 1 which carries a rotatable shaft 2 having a crank 3 mountedthereon, a cylinder 4 secured to the crankcase 1 and extending into theopening thereof, and a piston 5 adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder4, the piston 5 being connected to the crank 3 by means of a connectingrod 6.

The upper end of the compressor is closed by means of a cylinder head 7as shown in Fig. 1, which is formed with an upwardly extending annularportion 8 having a central opening 9 which leads to the dischargeopening 10 of smaller diameter, the connecting metal being inclined toprovide an inclined valve seat 11. The annular portion 8 is formed witha plurality of vertical openings 12 which lead to the central opening 9through passageways 13, as shown in Fig. 2, adjacent the dischargeopening 10. A cupshaped valve member 14 preferably formed from sheetmetal is positioned within the central opening 9 and has a free slidingfit therewith, the lower circumferential edge 15 of the valve 14 beingchamfered so that the valve is adapted to seat against the inclinedbottom 11 and normally close the central opening 9. The valve 14 undernormal operating conditions mises from its seat 11 from six t0 eightth0usandths of an inch and is provided with' a suitable stop member 16which is adapted,' under abnormal operating conditions to allow thevalve 14 t0 raise more than the normal opening. The stop 16 ispositioned Within the valve 14 and is spaced above the bottom of thesame, a suitable distance corresponding The stop 16 is provided with'astem 17 which extends upwardly througha spring retainer 17a carried by abar 18 which is secured by screws 19 to the body of the annular portion8. The 99 valve 14 is normally held against its seat 11 by a compressionspring 20 which snrrounds the stop 16, the ends of the spring 20abatting against thebottom of the valve and the spring retainer 17 et.The stem 17 of the stop 16 is adapted to slide in the sprin retainer 17(L and is provided with a pair 0 adjusting nuts 21 on its upper end. A.coil spring 20a which requires greater force to compress the same thanthe spring 20, sur 1 rounds the stem 17 and the ends of the same abutagainst the stop 16 and the spring retainer 17e. The spring 20anorrnally ho-lds the stop 16 in position under normal operatingconditions of the valve 14 and functions 14 so as to allow therefrigerant gas which is compressed within the cylinder 4 by the piston5 to escape from the compressor cylin er. A cylindrical member 22 istelescoped with the annular portion 8 of the cylinder head 7 providedthereby, the tubular member 20 proand extends Well above the samesubstantially as shown in the drawings, and is provided with a headmember 23 which forms a chamber 24 above the cylinder head 7 to enclosethe exhaust valve 14 and for receiving the compressed refrigerant gases.A central opening 25 is formed in the head through which the refrigerahtgas fiows to the condenser unit 26 through a suitable metering valve 27and conduit 28. The condenser unit 26 is supported upon a fan housing 29which carries a rotatable cooling fan 30. The fan 30 is mounted upon avertical shaft 31 which is connected to one end of the rotor shaft 32 ofan electric motor 33. The other end of the rotor shaft 32 is connectedby suitable reduction gearing 34 to the shaft 2 which rotates the crank3 to operate the piston5.

The discharge connection 35 of the condenser unit is connected by meansof a suitable Conduit 36 to a dome 37 which surrounds the compressorcylinder 4 to provide a chamber 38 for receiving liquid gas from thecondenser unit 26. The dome 37 extends over the head 23 of the tubularmember 22 which surrounds the annular portion 8 of the cylinder head 7substantially as shown in Fig. 1. The outlet conduit 36 which connectsthedischarge connection of the condenser unit with the dome 37 entersthe dome in close proximityto the tubular member 22. This inlet 39 ispositioned above a trough 40 which extends circumferentially around thetubular member 20 in the vicinity of the chamber 24 v1ding one wall ofthe trough.

When the refrigeration apparatus is in operation,,refrigerant gas andoil is drawn from' the refrigerator v evaporator (not shown) into thecrank case through the inlet port 1? on an up-strokeof the piston 5 andthen on the piston doWn-stroke is passed through a valve controlled port5 in the pistou into the compression chamber. This 8 are staggered andnot in direct line,

mixture that is thus admitted into the compression chamber is compressedupon the upward or compression stroke of the piston 5 and is forcedthrough the discharge opening 10 in the cylinder head 7, the pressurewithin the cylinder being sufiicient to raise the valve 14 from its scat11 and uncover the passageways 13. The gas and oil forced through theopening 10 in the cylinder head 7 is directed by the bottom of theexhaust valve 14 through the passageways 13 into the vertical openings12 and into the chamber 24 provided by the tubular member 22. It can beseen that because the openings 12 in the annular portion 8 are not indirect line with the openings 25 in the head 23, that the flow of gasthrough the opening in the head Will not be restricted, but because theopening 25 in the head 23 and the openings 12 in the annular portion alarge percentage of the oil Will strike the head 23 so that it isdefiected, and falls back around the cup-shaped exhaust valve 14,filling the same and the central opening 9. Sufiicient oil is defiectedat all times so that the space above the bottom of the valve 14 and aconsiderable space in the chamber 24 is filled with oil which providesan oil film or cushion between the valve 14 and the stop member 16, asshown in Fig. 2. It canbe seen that the noise occasioned by the valvestriking the stop Will be materially lessened by the oil cushion betweenthe stop 16 and bottom of the valve 14.

The refrigerant gas, tioned, flows through the opening 25 in the head23, passes through the metering valve 27 and enters the condenser 26through the inlet conduit 28 and fioWs through the same. The fan 30which is operated by the electric motor 32 meanwhile draws airdownwardly around and between the condenser coils 45 to cool therefrigerant gases entering the condenser 26, the air Which is draWnthrough the condenser being discharged through the ports 46 in the fanhousing substantial] as shown in Fig. 1. The refrigerant gas OW- ingthrough the condenser is consequently liquefied and leaves the same atthe outlet connection 35 and returns through the outlet conduit 36 tothe dome 37 surrounding the compressor cylinder 4. The liquefiedrefrigerant enters the dome 37 through the inlet connecti0n 39 and fallsinto the trough 40 surrounding the tubular member 22, the tubular member22 forming o'ne wall of= the trough. The li uefied ref1igerant overflowsthe trough and alls into the dome chamber 38, Where it is conductedthrough a suitable outlet port to the refrigerat0r evaporator (notshown). The trough 40 surrounding the tubular member 22 in the zone ofthe chunber24 above the gas discharge valve 14 is filled with theliquefied refrigerant at all times.

as previously men-' V coils 49 are positioned t surround the cylinder,these coils being connected to the crank case through ports 49 which arein turn connected with a source of cold water supply. The li uidsurrounding the cylinder 48 is trappe ofi through a port 48 in the crankcase 1 into a suitable conduit 48". The cylinder head 50 is providedwith a cap enclosure 51 threaded on the annular portion 52 thereof,which provides a chamber 53 above the exhaust valve 54. This capenclosure. 51 is provided with a plurality of openings 55 in the conicaltop thereof, Which are not positioned in direct line with the opnings 56in the annular portion 52, but are staggered in respect thereto so thata large percentage of the oil discharged with the refrigerant gases Willstrike the top of the cap enclosure and will be deflected back into thecup-shaped valve member 54, the gases being discharged through theopenings 56. The oil in this 'case, similar to the case previouslymentiohed, fills the cup-shaped valve 54and the central opening withinwhich it operates, so that as the valve is opened .upon the compressionstroke of the p1ston, the oil provides a cushion between the bottom ofthe valve and the stop member 58 which eliminates the noise occasioned.by the valve striking, the stop member 58 during the opening movement ofthe valve 54.

It is evident to those skilled in the art that the oil cushioning meansprovided by the pressent invention rovides a verysatisfactory means forsi encing the operation of the gas exhaust valve.

Aside from' the specific embodiments .of the invention herein shown anddescribed,

it.will be undrstood that numerous details of construction may bealtered andomitted without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the exactconstruction set forth, as it is desired to claim the invention broadlyas well as specifically, as indimovement of said valve, and an enclosuresurrounding said valve and providing a. chamber for receiving gas andoil from said compressor, said closure being constructed to permit gasto discharge. from said chamber A and to deflect oil into said oupehapedvalve,

. whereby said valve may be cushioned against said stop member duringopening movement.

2. In a refrigeration apparatus, a gas com presser, a head therefor,havin an outlet opening, a valve for said openmg, a stop member limitingthe opening of said valve, an enclosure carried by said head providing agas receiving chamber above said valve for receiving refrigerant gas andoil from said compresser through said valve, and an outlet port in saidenclosure for allowing gas to discharge from said chamber, saidenclosure being adapted to defiect oil back to said valve to cushion thesame during its opening movement for eliminacing operation noises.

3. In a refrigeration apparatus, a gas compressor havin a dischargeopening, a cupshaped valve or said opening, a stop member limiting thedegree of movement of said valve positioned above the bottom of saidvalve, a guide for said valve, gas and oil passageways adjacent to saidguide and leading to said opening, an enclosure surrounding said valveand passageways and providing a gas and oil receiving chamberthereabove, and gas discharge ports in said enclosure disposed out ofthe planes of said passageways whereby gas may be dischargedtherethrough, said enclosure being adapted to deflect oil into saidcup-shaped valve member so that said oil engags said stop up0n openingmovement of said valve for cushioning said valve t0 lessen operationnoises thereof.' A

4. In a refrigeration apparatus, a gas compresser, a head for saidcylinder' having a discharge opening,an annular upwardly extendingportion on said head, a central opening in said annular portion coaxialwith said discharge opening, said portion being form ed with gasdischarge openings, passageways in said portion connecting said openingswith said central opening, a cup-shaped valve slidably positioned insaid portion for opening and closing said discharge opening, a stopmember positioned within and above the bottom of said valve; acompression spring engaging thebottom of said valve for holding saidvalve in normal closed position, au enclosure for said head providing achamber above said valve and upwardly extending portion, for receivinggas and oil discha.rged through said central opening, and outlet portsin said enclosure staggered in respect to said gas discharge openings,the

oil and gas being discharged from said gas CEPHIS E. OWENS.

